Al Jazeera preparing legal response to ‘dangerous’ government decision to shutter outlet in Israel

The head of Al Jazeera in Israel and the Palestinian territories describes the government decision to shutter the Qatari-owned station’s local operations as “dangerous” and motivated by politics rather than professional considerations.

Al Jazeera’s legal team is preparing a response, Walid Omary tells Reuters, in a possible anticipation of a court appeal against the decision.

Earlier, the government unanimously authorized the shuttering of Al Jazeera’s news network operations in Israel, in line with a law passed by the Knesset in April.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi is now empowered to order Israel’s television providers to cease broadcasting Al Jazeera; order the channel’s Israeli offices to be closed; confiscate the channel’s equipment, possibly including cellphones; and block access to Al Jazeera’s website.